The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of petunia plant obtained from mutant of "Revolution Brilliantpink" obtained from crossing a wild type of petunia plant (.male.) native to Brazil and "Recoverer Scarletred (.female.)". Such new plant is botanically classified as Petunia x hybrida.
The petunia is a very popular plant and is used for flower bedding and potting in the summer season. There are only a few varieties of the petunia plant which do not have an upright growth habit and which have a high resistance to rain, heat, cold, and diseases. The petunia which we previously filed, i.e., the "Revolution" series (Revolution Purplepink (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,915), Revolution Brilliantpink (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914), Revolution Brilliantpink-mini (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,899)! is decumbent type plant having long stems, a lower plant height, abundant branching, and a high resistance to heat, cold and rain. However, there are only a few varieties having a great profusion of flowers, bi-color flower petal and a high resistance to rain, heat, cold and diseases. Accordingly, this invention was aimed at obtaining a new variety having a bi-color flower petal, together with the above features.
The new variety of petunia plant according to this invention originated from mutant occurring as a spontaneously generic variant of "Revolution Brilliantpink" (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,914) which we previously filed. The new variety of petunia plant was discovered in view of flower color during propagation of "Revolution Brilliantpink" in May 1993 near Odense, Denmark. The first asexual propagation by cutting took place near Odense, Denmark in November 1993 in a greenhouse operated by Hansson DK. The discovered petunia plant was further propagated by cutting from March, 1994 and then grown in bed and pot on trial from June, 1994 in Denmark and Japan. The botanical characteristics of the plant were examined, using similar variety, "Revolution Brilliantpink", for comparison. As a result, it was concluded that this petunia is distinguishable from any other variety, whose existence is known to us, sufficiently uniform and stable in its characteristics, then this new variety of petunia plant was named "Revolution Marrose".
In the following description, the color-coding is in accordance with The Horticultural Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England (R.H.S. Color Chart), and the Inter-Society color Council-Nation Bureau of Standard Color Name (I.S.C.C.-N.B.S. Color Name). A color chart based on The Japan Color Standard for Horticultural Plant (J.H.S. Color Chart) is also added for reference.
"Revolution Brilliantpink", the mutant parent of "Revolution Marrose", was obtained from crossing of a new wild type of petunia plant native to Brazil as the pollen parent and "Recoverer Scarletred" as the female parent, in June, 1985 at Yachiyo Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., residing at 755 Owadashinden, Yachiyo-shi, Chiba-ken, Japan.
The female parent use in the breeding of "Revolution Brilliantpink" was a wild type of petunia native to Brazil, the seeds of which were gathered at Gramado, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil and introduced to Japan in October, 1983. This wild type of petunia plant is presently maintained at the aforementioned the Yachiyo Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc. and the Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of Suntory Ltd., residing at 2913-1 Torihara, Hakushu-cho, Kitakoma-gun, Yamanashi-ken, Japan. The main botanical characteristics of this female parent of "Revolution Brilliantpink" are as follows.
Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to cold, relatively high resistance to heat, and moderate resistance to disease and pest. PA0 Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat, and disease, and moderate resistance to pest. PA0 Plant: PA0 Stem: PA0 Leaf: PA0 Flower: PA0 Physiological and ecological characteristics: High resistance to rain, heat and drought. Also high resistance to disease, particularly gray mold (Botrytis). Moderate resistance to pest.
Growth habit.--Decumbent. PA2 Plant height.--20cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--100-150 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--May to August in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Length from base.--50-80 cm. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 2.0-3.0mm; lateral stem 1.5-2.5mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Many. PA2 Branching.--Over-abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--0.1-2.0 cm before blooming; 1.5-3.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C, J.H.S. 3512-3513). PA2 Shape.--Oval. PA2 Length (average).--4.5-5.5 cm. PA2 Width (average).--2.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.4-0.5 mm PA2 Color.--Grayish olive green (R.H.S. 137A- 137B, J.H.S. 3716-3717). PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Opposite both before and during blooming. PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Diameter.--4.0-5.0 cm. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79B, J.H.S. 8907-8909); when open, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 74A, J.H.S. 9207), at full bloom, vivid reddish purple (R.H.S. 80A, J.H.S. 8906). PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens, both normal. PA2 Peduncle.--0.9-1.2 mm in thickness, and 2.0-2.5 cm in length. PA2 Growth habit.--Upright. PA2 Plant height.--30-40 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--25-35 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--April to September in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 4.5-6.5 mm; lateral stem 2.0-3.0mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Normal. PA2 Branching.--Abundant PA2 Length of internode.--2.0-3.0 cm before blooming; 2.0-4.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144B-144C, J.H.S. 3512-3513). PA2 Shape.--Lancet. PA2 Length (average).--4.0-5.0 cm. PA2 Width (average).--2.0-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.4-0.6 mm. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green to moderate olive green (R.H.S. 144A-146A, J.H.S. 3507-3508). PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Diameter.--8.0-8.5 cm. PA2 Color.--When flower is open, bright red (R.H.S. 45C 47B, J.H.S. 0407) with moderate pink (R.H.S. 51-C-54C, J.H.S. 0113) reverse side. PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens, both normal. PA2 Peduncle.--1.5-2.5 mm in thickness, and 2.5-3.0 cm in length. PA2 Growth habit.--Decumbent. PA2 Plant height.--15-20 cm. PA2 Spreading area of plant.--The stem extends to a length of 50-80 cm from the base, and thus the spreading area of the plant is 100-150 cm in diameter. PA2 Blooming period.--Late March to Late September in the southern Kanto area, Japan. PA2 Length from base.--50-80 cm. PA2 Thickness.--Main stem 2.5-3.5mm; lateral stem 1.5-2.0mm. PA2 Pubescence.--Normal. PA2 Branching.--Over-abundant. PA2 Length of internode.--1.5-1.7 cm before blooming; 3.0-4.0 cm during blooming. PA2 Color.--Strong yellow green (R.H.S. 144A-145A, J.H.S. 3507-3712). PA2 Shape.--Lancet. PA2 Length (average).--6.0-7.0 cm. PA2 Width (average).--2.5-3.5 cm. PA2 Thickness.--0.6-0.8mm. PA2 Color.--Moderate olive green to strong yellow green (R.H.S. 146A-143A, J.H.S. 3508-3308). PA2 Phyllotaxis.--Verticillate before blooming; opposite during blooming. PA2 Pubescence.--Few. PA2 Facing direction.--Opening obliquely upward. PA2 Type.--Single. PA2 Shape.--Funnel-shape, with five-fissured limb. PA2 Diameter.--7.0-8.0 cm. PA2 Color.--In the unopened stage (bud), dark reddish purple (R.H.S. 79A-79B, J.H.S. 9516-9210); when open, dark purplish red (R.H.S. 71A, J.H.S. 9509), at full bloom, vivid purplish red (R.H.S. 74A, J.H.S. 9507-9207) with deep reddish purple (R.H.S. 77A, J.H.S. 9209-9210) lines radiating from a dark purple (R.H.S. 83A, J.H.S. 8609-8610) center portion. The reverse side of the petal is a vivid reddish purple color (R.H.S. 74A, J.H.S. 9208-9206). The petal has a metallic luster. PA2 Reproductive organs.--1 pistil and 5 stamens, both normal. PA2 Peduncle.--1.5-2.0 mm in thickness, and 1.5-2.0 cm in length.
"Recoverer Scarletred", used as the female parent in the breeding of variety of "Revolution Brilliantpink", is one of the Recoverer Series bred by the Sakata Seed Corp., Japan. The Recoverer Series includes "Recoverer White", "Recoverer Blue", and "Recoverer Pink", and these plants are commonly characterized by a high resistance to rain. The main botanical characteristics of "Recoverer Scarletred", are as follows.
And the botanical characteristics of the petunia plant "Revolution Brilliantpink" which are mutant parent of this new variety "Revolution Marrose" as follows.
This new and distinct variety of petunia plant, "Revolution Marrose", was asexually reproduced by cutting at the aforementioned Plant Biotechnology Laboratory of Suntory Ltd. and Yachiyo Farm of Keisei Rose Nurseries, Inc., and the homogeneity and stability thereof were confirmed.